Experience “Thunder in the Sticks”

I know that I’m going to lose my rural activities card for this, but who else is unaware of the event known as the tractor pull? If it’s new for you, you’re about to learn about something awesome, and if it isn’t new for you, you might still be surprised. The President of the Western New York Gas & Steam Engine Association, Bill Dellapenta, took the time to speak with us at ellicottvilleNOW and shared details on their upcoming “Thunder in the Sticks” event.

eNOW: Thunder in the Sticks sounds like a fun event. Can you explain what it actually entails for those not familiar with tractor pulls?

DELLAPENTA: If you’re a fan of horsepower and smoke, then you need to come out to see and hear some “Thunder In The Sticks”. Think of drag racing with a twist. Here the tractors are hooked to a weight transfer sled to see if they can take it 300ft the length of the track. As they move down the track a weight moves forward putting more pressure on the large plate called the pan pushing it harder against the ground. It is the sled operators job to stop these amazing machines before or by the 300ft mark. There will be 5 tractor classes from the 466 Profield class, which may look like your typical tractor out working in the field, but they are not up to the Modified that can have up to 3 engines on them. The other 3 classes are Superfarm, Lightsuper and Heavysuper. There are specific rules for determining the classes. The basics are weight, modifications, chassis, air and fuel systems, and tire size. We will also have the Limited Pro Truck class. These are 4x4 diesel pick ups that definitely are not your daily drivers. The weight transfer is adjusted for each class through gearing on the sled. Empire State Pullers (ESP) and Pro Pulling League (PPL) have strict safety rules in place to keep the drivers, track personal and fans safe.

eNOW: You're also having a truck pull the same day. Is that much the same as the tractor pull? What type of trucks will be used?

DELLAPENTA: Yes, we start our day of pulling off with street legal 4x4 trucks with an 8500lbs limit. They must be registered and insured to be able to pull. So if you want to see what your truck can do, and for bragging rights with your friends, for a $20 hook fee “Run what you brung” come early to register and have some fun.

eNOW: There is even an event that kids can participate in, correct?

DELLAPENTA: Our Sneaker Pull event. This portion of the show is a tradition that you will only see at the WNYG&SEA. It is a tug-a-war between the kids ages 2-14 and a steam engine. This was brought to us by the Harris Family of Lockport, NY who had seen this done over in England. They decided that they would like to do one here. They provided the steamer and the rope and a tradition was born. We attach their original 100ft rope to the steamer and invite all kids in attendance to come out onto the track and to bring their parents. It’s an amazing sight to see all the kids in the stands spill over onto the track. The group has gotten so large we now split it into two groups - boys usually average about 125 and girls average about 115. Sometimes the steamer wins and sometimes it is the kids. Everyone looks forward to this and it will continue to please for many years to come.

eNOW: Food and beverages will be available, what type of food and drinks are going to be up for sale?

DELLAPENTA: Make sure to bring your appetite!! We will be serving hot dogs, hamburgers, Italian sausage, roast beef, as well as French fries, salt potatoes out of our Push N Pull food stand, and hot dogs, burgers, sausage, chips, novelty ice cream on our Northside stand. Pepsi products are available at both. There are NO alcohol sales at the event. Also our Snack Shack will be open serving pizza, nachos with cheese, popcorn, brownies along with Pepsi products, coffee and hot chocolate. There will be a Chicken BBQ served at 5:00pm. You get a half chicken, salt potatoes, beans and a roll. Unfortunately our ice cream stand will not be open for this event.

eNOW: Could you give us the time, date, and cost of tickets for the event?

DELLAPENTA: Our “Thunder In The Sticks”, an Empire State Pullers event, is held the Saturday of Father’s Day Weekend. The date this year is June 15th with gates opening at 2:30pm with pulling starting at 4:00pm. The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for kids age 7-14. We offer a family pass which is 2 Adults and 2 youths for $50, with each additional youth for $5. There is FREE Parking. On Sunday, June 16th, as a bonus day of pulling, the Western New York Garden Tractors Association will be pulling on our track starting at 10:00am. They feature stock garden tractors too V8 modified tractors. This is FREE to attend and food and drink will be available for purchase.

eNOW: What's next in the works for the WNY Gas & Steam Engine Association?

DELLAPENTA: We have an exciting year planned at the Gas & Steam. On July 13th and 14th we will having our summer Flea Market/Swap Meet along with an antique snowmobile show featuring 26 different classes to be judged. Food and drink will be available for purchase. This event is free parking and admission. On August 4th and 5th, we turn our grounds over to the Empire State Antique Truck Association (ESATA) for their two-day show featuring antique trucks and construction equipment. For more information go to EASTA Facebook page.

eNOW: Anything else you would like to share?

DELLAPENTA: Our biggest event, The 57th Annual Rally, is happening on September 5th-8th this year. Power provided by Milton Cat. We will be honoring Huber Tractors and Economy small engines as our feature this year. This is a 4-day event that covers 175 acres and is enjoyed by approximately 20,000 people. We have 185 vendor flea market, steam engine displays, model building, with 4 days of tractor pulls with Friday night being our “invitational pull” featuring many ESP tractors as well as Semi Trucks and a Sneaker Pull. We have 14 different food vendors featuring all your favorite fair foods. There is an auction held on Thursday. Contact Bontrager Auctions for more information. We have 400 primitive campsites available for rent as there is so much to see and do. We are family friendly with No alcohol sales permitted. We feature free parking and a low gate donation of $10 for adults and kids under 12 are Free. Visit alexandersteamshow.com for more information.

So if you’ve never been to a tractor pull, I suggest you make your way out to 10400 Gillate Road in Alexander, NY and snag a seat to view the upcoming “Thunder in the Sticks” event. (I want to watch the kids pull a steam engine myself.) It promises to be a great family and budget friendly event that everyone can enjoy, there is also the added benefit if you grab tickets. Invite your dad — it would make a great pre-Father’s Day gift!

Experience “Thunder in the Sticks”

Experience “Thunder in the Sticks”

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